Ingezonden persbericht
Geachte redactie,
Zondagavond keert de Nederlandse anesthesioloog Bas Gerritse terug uit
Pakistan. Hij heeft 2 weken gewerkt in het ziekenhuis van Manserha in
het medische specialistenteam wat door Mensen in Nood/cordaid is
uitgestuurd. Bas Gerritse wordt opgevolgd door een collega
anesthesioloog uit het UMC St Radboud, die zaterdag vertrekt en 2 weken
blijft. De overige 3 specialisten (orthopedisch chirurg, plastisch
chirurg en rev arts) komen eind volgende week naar Nederland. Bas
Gerritse geeft aan dat er behoorlijk hard is gewerkt en dat het team
veel heeft kunnen doen.
Als bijlage een interview met oa Bas Gerritse zoals opgetekend door een
medewerker van Caritas Internationalis (onze organisatie is als Caritas
Nederland lid van dit netwerk). Bas Gerritse is bereikbaar voor
interviews.
Onderstaand een e-mail van logisticus Martin Kessler die verbonden is
aan het mobiele medische team van Mensen in Nood/Cordaid. Het mobiele
team bestaande uit de Nederlander arts Jack Menke en Nieuw-Zeelandse
verpleegkundige Moana, aangevuld met Pakistaanse tolken maakt een ronde
door de Allai vallei en dan vooral hoger gelegen dorpen, veelal alleen
te voet bereikbaar.
Als u vragen heeft verneem ik die graag.
Met vriendelijke groet,
Jos de Voogd
persvoorlichter Cordaid
Cordaid
070-3136 268
06-12991279
jdv@cordaid.nl
vrijdag niet op kantoor
Sent: donderdag 10 november 2005 13:41
To: tomtenboer@hotmail.com
Cc: WPI (Thuis); Judith Kiers
Subject: Update 10.11.05
Hi Tom;
Today, we had actually planned to have the team in uper Tandol supplied
with drugs and equipment via helicopter. Though everything was arranged
(additional translator, drugs tent and helicopter for two hours) the
weather did compromise our effort and two pilots did refuse to fly to
the place. Therefore Jack and Moana are still on the mountain and are
trying to manage with their current drug supplies.
The weather also spoiled our effort to approach the Cholera issue
propperly. We planned that I on my way to upper Tandol would get some
water and stool samples from lower Tandol too. The WHO people who
arrived here yesterday did leave me a cool container and instructions
how to collect and send the samples. However as haven't been able to
reach Tandol at all, I also couldn't get those samples. So by tomorrow I
will try to get to the place again and see what I can do.
After consulting Jack and Moana we decided that it is not worthy for me
to climb up the mountain for 5 hours and supply them via this way. So
most probably they will come down then the following day (Saturday) also
to meet Wim on Sunday. Afterwards it is planned to go to Pashto and
treat the people there.
In a very short meeting with some OCHA people who were here today I
raised our concern about upper Tandol. According to the people
(questionable) Jack and Moana are the first expatriates since 1939 in
the place. Even though this might be exagerated, it is relatively
obvious that no support has been offered to these people since the
earthquake. According to some contradicting figueres between 8,000 and
13,000 are living in this area. The army claims that at some time they
had dropped tents there, but according to Jack and Moana people are
living in makeshift homes and are really sufering. The place is more
than 2000 meter high and I guess it gets pretty cold there already. In
the coordination meeting yesterday evening CARE had anounced to start
with distribution over there, but I have my doubts about this as the
weather and their very big Chinook helicopters are points of concern for
me. Lets see what comes back from Jack and Moana...
Think that's it for the moment
Cheers
Martin